A suicide bomber blew himself up in a banqueting hall where Islamic religious scholars had gathered in the Afghan capital Kabul on Tuesday, killing more than 50 people, three government officials said.

Najib Danish, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said more than 80 other people had been injured.

A suicide bomber detonated his explosives inside a wedding hall where Islamic religious scholars had gathered to commemorate the anniversary of the Prophet Mohammad’s birth,” Danish said.

The attacker entered a banquet room in the Uranus wedding hall, a massive complex housing several large banqueting halls near Kabul airport, and detonated his explosives.

An Indian court has sentenced a former politician to life in prison for inciting anti-Sikh violence in riots after the 1984 assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi which claimed thousands of lives.

More than 300 women have accused Brazilian faith healer João Teixeira de Faria of sexually abusing them, according to Brazil's state media agency, citing the Department of Public Ministry of the state of Goiás.